Okay, I heard somewhere that we can't reply to our reviewers and I don't really want to get in trouble, so yeah. Don't forget that I still love you all even if you're ready to stab me to death because of the lack of updates. I have valid excuses this time, so yeah. I was sick for a week and a half and I had too much homework to finish off and I went on vacation for a week and had no access to any computers. Writer's block also played a good part in it. Okay, so here's Chapter 14!
Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, but I do own the other characters that have been put in. I won't list them because I'm just too lazy.
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Crimson SinChapter Fourteen – Fading Sanity
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Rain fell down from the gray sky as if it would never stop. It was if a dense blanket of rain droplets had covered the city. Thunder boomed softly overhead, obviously drowned out by the steady beat of the rain, and lightning flared up across the sky, obscured thanks to the clouds that were as thick as wool. Everyone except for one person had retreated to their dry and safe homes.
Riza Hawkeye stood solemnly at the foot of a small grave. Her blond hair hung loosely around her face, several stray strands clung to her tear stained and rain soaked face. Tears continued to fall from her dull red eyes. She sighed and looked up at the sky, letting to rain fall down against her face.
"It's raining, Black Hayate," she murmured.
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Riza took a small sip of her now cold coffee. She sat at her kitchen table. The only source of light in the entire house was the small light bulb that hung above that table. There were dark bags under her eyes and it seemed as if she hadn't slept in a very long time. Her face had been drained of all its color and her pink lips stood out considerably. Her once shiny blond hair that had always been kept up had lost all of its sheen and was almost completely tangled. She also looked like she hadn't eaten much for a long time. Riza Hawkeye was a mess.
The 1st Lieutenant gazed at all the papers scattered across the table. Pictures of people and lots of text were printed out on each of these documents. Riza had gotten most of them from Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. On the night that Colonel Roy Mustang had brought the lifeless body of Black Hayate, her closest friend, home, she had sworn that she would find whoever killed him.
"I made a promise and I'm not one who breaks promises," Riza said to herself, her voice was hoarse and cracked slightly when she spoke. Memories of the past days came rushing back to her.
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It was almost eleven o'clock and Riza was getting ready to go to bed. A soft drizzle fell down outside. Just when she was about to turn off all the lights and go upstairs to change she heard a loud knock at her door.
Who would be knocking this late? she thought to herself as she walked towards the door and opened it only to find Roy standing there, a small white bundle in his arms.
What happened afterwards was one of the most horrible moments in her life.
"Riza, I found Black Hayate on the side of the road on my way home. I hurried here as fast as I could," Roy began and pulled back some of the white cloth to reveal Black Hayate's lifeless form, "I think he was hit by a car. I'm sorry that I wasn't there in time to save him."
Riza's breath caught in her throat and tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She tried to suppress them. She would never let herself cry in the company of the Colonel. "No…" she whispered, her body shaking slightly. Riza took a deep breath and took the bundle that was her dead companion from Roy and muttered a small almost inaudible thank you. She heard the Colonel apologize once more as she shut the door.
Cradling Black Hayate in her trembling arms, Riza sunk down to the floor, her back resting against the door. Blinded by tears Riza hugged her friend's cold body and let herself cry.
I promise that I'll find whoever is responsible for your death and make them pay, Riza thought angrily as she wiped her tears away, her lips pressed together in anger.
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The sun shone brightly and children happily ran down the streets, their parents quickly following behind them. Riza gazed mournfully at them as she walked by. She wished that the event that occurred the previous night would erase itself from the world. She wished that it was just a dream, but sadly it wasn't, the small white bundle that she carried in her arms was real.
Riza Hawkeye held the white bundle closer to her chest as she turned the corner and entered the vet's office. It was rather quiet in the sterile white building that day. Two people, an old man that had many wrinkles and a short brown-haired woman that had a snobbish air about her, sat in the waiting room their dogs. Riza walked over to the nurse who sat at the main desk.
"Excuse me, but I'd like to see Dr. Smith please," Riza asked softly. The receptionist nodded and told her that the doctor would be with her momentarily. Riza thanked her and sat down in one of the red plastic chairs that lined the pale orange walls of the waiting room.
Thirty minutes passed and both the old man and the snobbish woman had disappeared behind the glass doors with their dogs. Riza was left all alone, her arms tightly wrapped around Black Hayate. Suddenly she felt someone touch her shoulder gently. Riza looked up to see a plump cheerful nurse standing next to her.
"Dr. Smith is ready to see you," the nurse said and led Riza to one of the examination rooms. The doctor sat in one of the chairs, reading over some paper work.
"Thank you Isabelle," Dr. Smith said and the nurse gave a small bow and excused herself. The doctor was a man who appeared to be in his late 50s. His black hair was streaked with gray and his blue eyes had a kind and gentle look in them. His face was creased with wrinkles, but his face was smooth.
"Good morning," Riza said to the doctor, her voice flat and tinged with a sad melancholy tone.
"What's wrong Riza, you seem sad today. Has something happened?" the doctor asked.
Riza nodded sadly and showed Black Hayate to the doctor, who let out a small "Oh" and took the bundle from Riza's arms and place him on a small examination table.
"Could you please tell me how he died?" Riza asked as she tried to hold back her tears. The doctor gave a small nod and began to examine Black Hayate.
After for what seemed like forever to Riza the doctor finished.
"Well, it's quite strange actually," he began," There are no fatal visible injuries or internal injuries, but there are two puncture marks on the side of his neck and it seems that his body has been almost completely drained of all its blood. Quite strange actually, but I think that he must've gotten cut by something sharp and bled to death. When you found him was he covered in blood at all?"
Riza shook her head and doubted that Roy had seen any since he said that he had come to her house as fast as he could.
"This gets stranger and stranger. I'm afraid that I can't give you an exact answer," he said sadly. Riza thanked him and left Black Hayate's body cradled in her arms once more.
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Taking another sip of her coffee, Riza continued to look through all the papers she had accumulated, trying not to think about those memories. Most of them described the incident that occurred not too long ago at the Grand Neko Hotel. She had already read through those and was now concentrating on a file about a specific person. That person? Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist.
"Hmmm…" Riza said as she glanced over his file. There was nothing on it that she didn't already know. She sighed and put his file back down.
He was one of the only people in the Grand Neko when all those people were murdered and they all had those same puncture marks and were completely drained of all their blood, just like Black Hayate, Riza thought as she started to go back through her memories once more.
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Riza was walking down the hallway. She had just finished threatening the Colonel and he was hopefully doing the gigantic mounds of paperwork that had accumulated on his desk these past weeks and needed to take a short break. Two pairs of footsteps echoed down the hall, hers and someone else who was coming from the opposite direction. Riza rounded a corner and walked smack dab into Ed, knocking him to the floor.
"Sorry," he mumbled as he sat there on the ground, obviously not happy about something.
"It's alright, but please try to watch where you're going next time," she said as she helped him up. Just as Ed pulled himself up, she caught a slight glimpse of two puncture marks on his neck. "Ed, where'd that wound come from?" she asked, concerned about the blond alchemist.
A startled expression crossed Ed's face as he broke into a run.
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"Those puncture marks were the same as those on Black Hayate's neck, but why isn't Ed dead?" Riza said in a whisper, "Is he the one who did this? Or is he just a lucky victim? Either way, it would be useful to get as much information as I can from him. He may be able to help me after all."
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Oooh, scary Riza. What's going to happen to our favorite blond alchemist? Well, you'll have to wait till I update again, which will be soon! I promise! Wait… That's what I said last time. Well, I'll update when I can. If you want to give me any ideas or suggestions then feel free to e-mail me. I have a pretty good idea where this story is going. I'm just debating with the ending, anyways; don't forget to send me reviews! They are what keep me writing! I'm sorry that this chapter is so short.
Next Chapter:
Chapter Fifteen – Spinning Out of Control